Workers unearth history at historic Duncannon tavern

Surprises continue to greet members of the Historical Society of Perry County and volunteers in an educational excavation at the Clarks Ferry Tavern site in Duncannon.

Last month one crew uncovered a small gold hat pin with a diamond in it.

“It just looked like a clot of dirt until we started cleaning and it got shinier and shinier,” said Tom Prescott of the historical society. “Gold doesn’t tarnish.”

Participants also have unearthed arrowheads dated to 980 A.D., fragments of dishware, a piece of a clay pipe from 1790, a copperhead skull and hundreds of other items.

The excavation is not just about digging for treasure, however. The historical society’s archaeology team is trying to piece together a picture of how the site was used throughout history. On Sept. 30, a crew discovered lots of butchered bones near the beginning of a small hill at the Apple Street end of the property. Guessing that there might be a trash pit buried in the hill, the historical society requested the loan of a backhoe from the borough to dig an 18-foot trench in the hill Oct. 14.

“Much to our surprise, the slope of the hill between the flat part of the yard and Apple Street — former railroad tracks — was composed mostly of coal ash and clinkers,” said Victor Hart, a retired West Perry history teacher who has led the historical society’s county-wide archaeology program for eight years. “We can only surmise at this point that the ash and clinkers were dumped by passing engines as refuse, or they were placed there intentionally as part of the bed for the railroad track. Further excavations will help us determine which of these ideas is correct.”

One particularly puzzling aspect of the site is that artifacts from different time periods are mixed throughout all the layers of dirt and rock. Typically, more recent items are near the surface and the age of artifacts increases as archaeologists dig deeper.

“’This just doesn’t make sense,” Prescott said. He explained that one reason for the mix-up could be that the back of the site was a dump, and refuse has shifted downward over time.

Another possible explanation is agriculture.

“The soil had to have been turned over for some reason,” said Hart. “Although somewhat strange behind the house, we know that the land was once farmed and it might have been plowed. If it was plowed several times, it would account for the lack of historical context.”

Duncannon Borough Council purchased the property at 603 Market St., formerly the Clarks Ferry Tavern, for $50,000 in July and approved the excavation in August. The historical society began digging in September. Volunteers will continue to excavate as long as long as the weather allows and start back up in spring.

On most Sunday afternoons this fall the crews have had good weather and a regular flow of new and seasoned volunteers. The New Bloomfield VFW also recently donated $1,000 to the historical society for the excavation.

“It’s really interesting to see the variety of people that have come out,” borough council president Duane Hammaker told the Duncannon council at its October meeting.

Some of the participants have been local Boy Scouts earning an archaeology merit badge, which requires eight hours participating in a dig.

“How many times does that opportunity come up in your own back yard?” said Ross Magee, a Wheatfield Twp. resident. Magee’s son, George, is part of Troop 64 and has been volunteering at the tavern site.

For those who haven’t yet made it to the digs, the historical society will host an open house at the excavation site at 1 p.m. on Nov. 4. The artifacts and ecofacts found so far will be on display.